Known spreaders for the spreading of mineral spreading material, for example, sand or fine gravel, on roadways covered with snow or ice, are mounted on the rear side of a vehicle or on a trailer pulled by a vehicle. They have a plate shaped rotor with approximately radial strips which flings the spreading the material laterally away from the axis of rotation of the plate, the material being dispensed from a container onto the rotor. In order to direct the spreading material into a certain direction, the rotor needs to be surrounded by a housing such that the flung away spreading material strikes the housing walls at least partly and is slowed down there. Only a certain part of the spreading material is flung unimpeded into the open through an outlet disposed in the housing. Since the spreading material moreover reaches the rotor from above, it is deflected practically by 90.degree. which can cause the spreader to be plugged up or jammed.
In the case of motor vehicles used in winter traffic, it has been known to fling the spreading material directly in front of the driving wheels, in order to avoid with certainty on the one hand the spinning of said wheels and on the other hand to use only as much spreading material as is absolutely required for the continued travel of the motor vehicle.